Film And Video: August 1991

Nekromantik

First let’s get one thing out of the way: I love film. However my tastes are strange, some might even say sick. But who cares? Sleazy, slimy, bottom of the garbage heap stuff is what cranks me, ya know? For my first review, I decided to go straight to the bottom of the refuse pile. Nekromantik, a film I’ve been reading about for well over a year now, but was unable to obtain until recently. Brad Collins at Raunch put my search to an end. Hallelujah! This sick, obscene and beautiful film was directed by German director Jorg Buttergreit (who is rumored to have been arrested and jailed for his second release, of which I know not the title or the content). This film definitely lives up to its legend. It’s gut-wrenching sickness is unsurpassed. The plot (or lack of) is thin as is the dialogue, it’s all in German with English subtitles, which doesn’t matter because the highlight of the film is the gore. Gore Galore. The story is about a couple who collect body parts and entrails. Which is not hard since the star of the film works for a clean up crew for murders, car wrecks, etc. and has no problem filching parts here and there. These are displayed in bottles throughout our necrophiliac couple’s apartment. Gruesome! Anyway after a couple of clean up jobs, bloody car wrecks, and battling in tubs of blood, our couple is able to five-finger lift a disgusting, slimy, half-decayed corpse and the real fun begins.

After replacing the corpse’s decayed genitals with a steel pipe, the corpse is laid on their bed and a very sick sex scene begins. Not only fornicating, but licking and kissing one of the most nauseating slimy, gooey corpses ever to appear on the screen. Let us not forget the highlight, eyeball sucking, straight from the socket to the mouth, only to be spat out and rolled down the front of our rotting friend. Oh! Vomit, you say? I laughed at the sheer entertainment. After this, the rest of the film (more blood baths, cat murdering and washing your face with bloody guts) seemed tame.

The end, however, seemed relentless. I have never seen such sickness. Our hero masturbates while stabbing himself repeatedly. This movie is definitely not for the weak at heart. Hard to find, but well worth it. Next month “Bad Taste” (and that it is), bet you can’t wait. 

Boyz N The Hood

“Believe the Hype”

I like films that attract gunfire and this is a film that is doing exactly that. Though the theatrical body count now stands at one dead and about a dozen wounded, these figures could be rising, what with the daily opportunities that abound. Blood and box office. Meanwhile, I can’t help but think of the irony—if the triggers bothered to pay any attention to the movie itself, they might realize that the point of the whole thing is “Hey, brothers, let’s not kill each other!”

“Increase the peace,” says twenty-three year old John Singleton, who has written and directed this streetwise story of three Black youth and the ‘hood they call home. Starting in 1984 and jumping seven years to the now, we focus on the lives of Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.), Randy (Morris Chestnut), and Doughboy (Ice Cube) as they survive and seek escape from the hometown hell. Singleton knows the turf well. One gets the impression that he has seen the blood and alcohol drenched streets, and heard the shots, screams and sirens firsthand. With intelligence and understanding, he captures the tension, anger, humor and love of the territory. He shuns no issue, touching along the way bias history lessons, mistreatment of women, lack of parental guidance, police brutality, college entrance exams, the military, drug abuse, sex, economics and even the existence of God.

As for acting, despite looking a little old for high school students, the crew is emotionally convincing. A special nod goes to Ice Cube for his role with an attitude that slices but we understand why. Also, Larry Fishburn is commendable as Furious Styles, a positive parental role model that sends Cosby packing for Mr. Rogers’ land of Make-Believe.

So Boyz N The Hood might be the film that lets us gain a little insight and understanding. And although it’s been igniting quite a barrage of bullets, hopefully in the end it might be able to stop a few too. See it, but keep your head low.

For more from the SLUG Archives:

Book Review: Nick Cave – And The Ass Saw The Angel

What’s Wrong With Today’s Protesters, Protests and Protest Music?